Mountain updates:

26/05/2017

HE'S DONE IT!!!!!!

I can't quite believe that I am writing this but at 8:20am local time (3:35am UK time) I received the call we have all been waiting for. As i answered the phone the words i heard were "I'm calling you from the top of the world" He did it!!!!! It was a super long night just waiting for the phone to ring but when it did, i honestly don't think I have ever been happier. Congratulations Dad, you've done it, you've followed your dream and never given up and all your hard work has paid off!!!! Thank you all so so much for your support! More to follow!!!!

25/05/2017

Okay, it's official....!! Team Bruce are going for the summit tonight. In a few hours, head torches on, down suits zipped up, bags packed, the team will leave Camp 4. We finally heard from Dad earlier, he said he's feeling ready, excited and very nervous, but Dad thrives in these high pressured situations. As a professional ice hockey player (goalie) for many years, he would get so nervous before big games that he would end up being physically sick, but he would always, always come into his own when the pressure was on and i have no doubt that he will give this, the biggest challenge of his life, his absolute best shot. In his message earlier Dad spoke of how he saved a mans life today. - "I saved a guy who fell off today, I literally pulled him back up, and he wished me good karma, so fingers crossed" - these messages really bring home how powerful this mountain is and how she deserves respect at all time. So here we go everyone, after years of preparation, hard work and hours of training the time is finally here. Thank you all so much for following this journey, it has been so lovely to share each step of this journey with you, your comments have been so kind, uplifting and comforting on the tough days. We are nearly there :) i'll update you all in the morning, after what is probably going to be the longest night of our lives!!! Go get your mountain Daddy, we are all behind you xxxx#teambruce

So, as far as we know the summit will be going ahead tonight. Nervous doesn't even come close to how we are feeling right now. We still haven't had a text from Dad yet, meaning it's been about 48 hours since our last comms. This may not sound like a long time but trust me when I say every hour seems like a day! If and when we hear from him I will update you. I've never wanted anyone to achieve anything as much as I want Dad to do this so the next 24 hours is going to be nerve-wracking and scary but hopefully this time tomorrow, we will all be having champagne on our cereal to celebrate!!! Keep those good vibes coming guys 🙌🏻

24/05/2017

Sad news coming from Mt Everest today - another 4 deaths on the mountain with the climber's bodies being found in their tents, they are suspected to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Very very sad news and our thoughts are with their families. We haven't had any news from Dad yet today but fingers crossed he has arrived safely at Camp 3 :) I'll update when i hear from him. #teambruce

23/05/2017

Dad text this morning - firstly asking about the football when i told him his team won 7-1 #priorities 😂 then he went on to tell me he is feeling great, no problems with altitude so far. They are planning to leave Camp 2 at 5am tomorrow morning and climb to Camp 3 where they will sleep on oxygen and then up to Camp 4. They are hoping to summit the early hours of the 26th 🤞🏼 This is all dependant on the weather and may change but for now this is what we are all hoping for!!! The team is made up of 3 climbers, a number of Sherpa and their guide, Bruce so the team are now calling themselves 'Team Bruce'! We are still raising funds for Dad 'Journey to Inspire' and he still has no idea that we have been doing this so this is going to be a lush surprise when he gets down :) If you can spare anything at all, we would so appreciate it - all details can be found by following the link below! :) We are in the process of booking dates to head back to the schools all over the UK for Dad's post trip talks :) Really excited to see all the children again and to see their faces as Dad tells his story :)

22/05/2017

Today is a rest day for the team at Camp 2 as yesterday was a tough 10 hour climb. Dad is feeling great though :) Lots of people say to me that it is so hard to imagine what climbing for 10 hours is like, when Dad and I climbed Kili, the summit push was about 10 hours and honestly it was the toughest thing I have ever done. It seems like you've been climbing forever and you feel like you're not making any progress, then suddenly you look up and can see your destination. I know Kili is a completely different ball game, but I saw Dad's face as we summited and it's one of happiest i've ever seen him. This Everest journey means so so much to him and I only wish I could see his face as that summit is in sight! We still have a long long way to go, but I'm hoping we will all be able to raise a glass to his summit this weekend!! The day of the summit is still not 100% so when we know I will let you all know :) As you go to work tomorrow morning at 9am and finish at 5pm, commute home and finally sit down to dinner at 7pm spare a thought for every single Everest climber this year who will have been climbing for all those hours! A massive huge congratulations to the incredible Kilian Jornet, mountain runner and an absolute super human, who summited Everest in the early hours of this morning without bottled oxygen or fixed ropes and set a new speed record for the ascent of Everest. A truly amazing achievement. Every climber is a hero in my eyes and after the immensely sad news yesterday of 2 deaths on the mountain, it really hit home at how tough this challenge is. RIP to those who lost their lives, and we will continue to send all of the good wishes and luck to those still climbing.

21/05/2017

The whole team are safely at Camp 2

20/05/2017

Change of plan... the team leave for their 5 day summit rotation... TONIGHT!!!! The weather is looking good so they are seizing this opportunity. They will be aiming to summit on 25/26th still, weather depending. At 9pm tonight (UK time), as you're going about your evening, having drinks with friends, watching some television with a cuppa, out for dinner or whatever your evening may hold, Dad and the team will be setting off up the Khumbu into the unknown.This is what we've been working towards for 4 years, a few hiccups along the way but we got here and hopefully by this time next week Dad will have stood on top of the world!!! Thank you all for your support. Only a few days to go...!!!

19/05/2017

Days leading up to the summit push seem to last forever. Never known a week go by so slowly!! Sitting here in Cardiff in the safety of home, sun shining, it's hard to imagine what it's like sat at Base Camp in the freezing cold with the icefall looming ahead. Mum is so often asked how she could possibly let Dad go up a mountain and be away for so long, but in all honesty we wouldn't have it any other way. This is his dream and we want him to achieve it as much as he does! Mum, my sister and I haven't slept properly for weeks and dreaming of mountains has become a standard nightly routine, each morning we discuss stories of what our imaginations have thought up from the night before! If anyone has any questions about what's to come with the summit and how it'll work then please comment below and i will do my best to answer :) For now Dad is still sat at BC just waiting the weather out. 3 days to go 🤞🏼

17/05/2017

Great news!!! The news we have all been waiting for... it's time for the second summit attempt. After the disappointment of their first attempt being abandoned due to weather and then over a week of rest time at BC, it's been a very difficult wait. The team will be leaving BC on the 22nd and it's time to go up up up to the top of the world. Thanks for sending all your good vibes to nepal, they're defo working, so keep them coming! I told Dad yesterday about all the comments and support he's getting and he's honestly blown away. BC is such a bubble and he's very distanced from the outside world so it will be a lovely welcome home to read all your kind messages. Thank you all for following and hopefully we can end this journey in the way we have all been hoping for.

16/05/2017

More resting today but hoping for a summit within a week 🙈 All getting very real again. The team are making plans for their second attempt, and boy is it getting exciting now!!! So many emotions, seriously missing him now but only approx 3 weeks until he is home and safe. Keep going Dad! #everest

15/05/2017

Dad had a tough day yesterday - rest days are essentially days sitting around the camp waiting out the weather, resulting in hours upon hours of time to kill. Dad is one of the most active people I have ever met, he is up everyday at 05:30 and every hour of his day is filled with something, whether it be work, family, training or working on his projects with his non-profit organisation, bigmoose. Therefore, all this down time has been tough, but as always my Mum knew exactly what to say to lift him up again and so today Dad is back feeling tough, strong and ready for the rest of this journey. A team of Ghurkas have fixed the final ropes, and reached the summit today, Dad said it was very cool listening to them from the summit on the radio, and they could see them from BC through the telescope.The weather is hopefully improving, and we are all wishing for a summit window soon. The team are amped and all getting on so well, please keep sending good vibes to Nepal #everest

13/05/2017

The beautiful Camp 2 - you can see a teeny tiny Dad here giving the camp some scale. The enormity of this mountain is breathtaking. More resting today - hopefully not long until he is back here at C2 and beyond! #everest

So, having been three days away from having a summit day, unfortunately, due to inclement weather, the himex Sherpas had to return back from placing ropes to the summit, which impacted upon Dad and the team in a snakes and ladders style, but that's mountains I guess. Dad said "Would I prefer to have got the summit, but one of our boys got frostbite, that would affect their lives, unseen by anyone in my western world?? 100% no, my summit isn't worth another human's pain, ever."

So, what's next?They go again, just with a smaller team.Dad, Joe, Kazu.That's it.Zero summits between them, but a lot of heart and determination, and a great support team, who I know want to get to them to the top of the world, Dad says he feels like they are a newly formed Himalayan family.The plan is that they get a weather window that lets the rockstar Sherpa fix ropes to the top of the hill, and then when the weather window is right they head to Camps 2/3/4 and then go for the summit, which is probably going to be closer to the end of the month. This project is super tough mentally as well physically, but like dad says, who wants easy?? Music is playing a big part of coping, and Dad said they are being fed and watered with great playlists and amazing food, so will hopefully be ready when the chance is given to them. For now though they are resting up, re-energising, and refocusing.Russ is gonna do a piece to camera tomorrow for us, which will be cool to see his perspective.Dad says he is gutted they didn't get the job done, and that he's not homeward bound, but sometimes things just don't sync. In other news, tonight for dinner I have insider info they are having gooey chocolate cake for pudding, game on!! Dad's defo happy with that!!Finally, Dad wants you to all know that he thinks he managed to surpass his 44 day record of eating over 100 bars of cocoa based bars today, a proud day

10/05/2017

Relieved to say that Dad is safely back at Base Camp. They descended from Camp 2 for some more rest before another summit push soon. He sent through a very short message saying he was safe and sound but exhausted. He has gone to sleep now and will update us more in the morning. For now, he is safe and happy which is all we can ask. #everestupdate

No update from Dad yet. From looking at weather reports and other climber's blogs it is looking like the weather has turned snowy and very cold. The fixed lines to the summit are still not in place as the Sherpa's had to descend due to severe cold. We don't have much more info for now but as soon as we hear from Dad I will update you as I have received lots of messages asking how/where he is. Keep sending good vibes to Kathmandu. #everestupdates

9/05/2017

Today unfortunately I am not coming to you with the news I had hoped to. This morning I received a message from Dad to say that he and all the team are going to potentially need to descend to Base Camp due to their guides becoming ill. One guide has been flown off the mountain - he is doing well but will not be rejoining the team. A second guide has been unwell all trip and on and off oxygen. And lastly the third guide has now needed supplementary oxygen. The rope fixers also came down early last night from the higher camps due to extreme cold and risk of frost bite. Due to lack of guides they have also lost some Sherpa and therefore have no one to restock the higher camps with food. They will now wait for team 1 who are currently at Camp 3 and then a decision will be made but we believe that they will all descend to BC tomorrow but will update you when i have definite plans. In true Dad style, he is being extremely calm about the whole thing and says he isn't letting go of his dream yet.This is all the information i have for now, Dad asked me to be completely honest with you guys about the situation so far and i'll keep you updated as time goes on. The trip is not over yet so please keep sending positive vibes.

8/05/2017

One more rest day today at Camp 2 then up to Camp 3. The team have been split into two groups and the first group left today so hoping to summit Wednesday and then Dad's group will leave tomorrow and aim to summit Thursday. Not long now...!

6/05/2017

Dad is safely at Camp 2, he said he was feeling really strong on the climb from BC, so fingers crossed that continues. They will now have two rest days before continuing their journey up the mountain #everest

5/05/2017

Results for naming the dog at Base Camp are in.... After a lot of deliberation... 'Twirl' was our favourite! Great suggestions guys, i sent them to the team and they loved them! #everestdog#twirl

Big news: Dad and his team leave tomorrow at 02:45 with the aim of this rotation including their summit! This is going to be a very exciting and scary few days. Dad is very nervous but he told me yesterday he feels as ready as he'll ever be! This is what he has worked so hard for over the last year and dreamed of for so long. "You're off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way" - Dr SeussGo get your dream daddy xx

4/05/2017

Dad has made a new friend! This little guy is hanging out with them at base camp!!! Dad has asked me to ask you guys to suggest names for him - comment what you think he should be called and i'll send them to the team and they'll pick a winner!! Also tomorrow morning - 8am (UK time) I have a very exciting announcement ... #watchthisspace

2/05/2017

A few more days at BC then hopefully the team will be back on their way up the mountain heading to Camp 2 and beyond...! #everestupdates

1/05/2017

Today Dad has asked me to post to you guys a message he has written remembering the late Ueli Steck, one of the greatest climbers of all time. Yesterday was an extremely tough day on the mountain, here are a few words from Dad:

A week ago Ueli Steck sat in Himex Base Camp on Everest chatting with his friend Russell Brice and all Himex climbers, he was interested in everyone's aspirations, as opposed to some global superstars, who are more interested in telling you about them and their agendas.This was a week ago.Yesterday we learnt that Ueli had fallen to his death.The effect that this awful event had on our team, and our guides, and especially our leader Russell Brice was terrible, everyone was in tears, and for the second time for me on this mountain I was so very close to death. If you have never heard of Ueli Steck please go to YouTube and watch some of the most amazing human feats any man has ever done, it really is worth it, his talent was awesome.I spoke at length with Russ last night, and told him we hadn't put anything out on social media out of respect for Ueli's family, and as he thanked me, he also said we now should, to highlight how tough life can be when you lose someone, and how we all have to continue, and fight to have the best life possible. Russ is a big supporter of bigmoose, and I would not be here were it not for his support. Russ is one of the toughest men I have ever met, but as well as being a great leader of men and women, he is also a very emotional human, and I love watching how he leads. He has enemies, as all great men do, but he also has an amazing amount of people who respect his knowledge and decision making. Watching the tears roll down his cheeks as he talked of losing Ueli moved me, and I hope you will allow Ueli's death to inspire you to live your life to your maximum, as we only get one chance. Ueli Steck R.I.P. 4th October 1976 - 30th April 2017

30/04/2017

Another rest day at BC today, waiting for the weather to improve so they can get the green light to begin rotation 2. For those who don't know, Dad has two false hips and as far as we know if he manages to summit he will be the 'First man to summit Mt Everest with two false hips!!' A few years back when he had he operation done, Dad asked the Doctors "will having false hips stop me from doing anything?" and the Doctor replied "No, you can live a normal life, the only thing is maybe don't run marathons..." Dad has gone on to run 'ultra marathons' which he says is sticking to the rules as it's not a marathon and now is climbing Mount Everest (Sorry Dr Marsden!!) - However in the words of Dad "Follow your dreams, life is short" Enjoy your weekend and never give up on your dreams ❤️

29/04/2017

Okay, remember when I said this adventure was starting to get serious? Now it's getting seriously serious!!! Dad and the team spent yesterday practising using oxygen masks ready for when they're in the death zone... for those who don't know, the death zone is anywhere above approx 8000m. This is where there is not enough oxygen to breathe and so the human body needs supplementary oxygen to survive. A few more rest days before it's time for the second rotation...! #everest

28/04/2017

Dad and his team are now back safely at Base Camp, resting up for a few days before their next rotation. Dad has some wifi so we managed to have a good whatsapp chat yesterday about how it's all been going. The reality of the danger on the mountain hit us when he told us he had fallen into a crevasse the day before. He isn't injured and in fact his words were 'no biggie' but as he walked along unaware of any danger, a crevasse that has been covered with a thin layer of snow made itself known. Dad fell into it and was in up to his waist. Luckily two nearby sherpa pulled him out and he was fine but this mountain is not to be underestimated and just proves how you must always be fully focused on the task in hand. (this isn't a picture of the crevasse he fell into) Dad also said he and a few of the team have very sore tongues which transpires is down to breathing through your mouth and the sun burning it! Crazy. Although he did want you all to know that he is taking one for the team and still eating his daily dose of chocolate! #teamplayer

27/04/2017

It's been rough with no signal, but Dad has finally got some wifi! The day before yesterday's winds were so tough the team decided to turn around at the fixed ropes on the way Camp 3. They then all departed from Camp 2 at 5am yesterday morning, so they didn't have to navigate the Khumbu Icefall with sun on it, which makes it so dangerous. Dad said he loved coming through the icefall in daylight though as you could truly see the vastness of it in the day. The journey down to Base Camp has to be focused on at all times and the team had to cross about fifteen ladders, and abseil down huge sheer ice cliffs half a dozen times, which although dangerous Dad said was brilliant, and then finally, crevasses! On Everest there are lots of wide crevasses, which are then spanned by the ice doctors with ladders, which is great, but the worst are ones the you can't see.Dad says he is missing us all very much, and that the psychological side is super tough, but he is confident he can keep rocking.They're now back safely at BC. https://www.gofundme.com/jeffs-journey-to-inspire

26/04/2017

Reports from Nepal congratulate the Sherpas on making outstanding progress with the fixed lines. They are up as far as the South Col now which is incredible. This will allow the teams to acclimatise on their own schedule, which will hopefully help with the crowding on the mountain. Winds have really picked up towards the mid-high camps on the mountain and so acclimatisation rotations will be halted for a few days until this settles. Dad said yesterday was very tough and that he was shattered, but that is bound to happen when climbing for 12+ hours with significant less oxygen. At sea level the amount of effective oxygen is approximately 20%, where they are at the moment has only got approximately 8% effective oxygen, hence the tiredness. The last few days they've spent the majority of their time living at heights almost equivalent to the summit of Aconcagua - the highest mountain in South America. More to follow with their progress later #mountainupdates

25/04/2017

Another great but hard day yesterday. Dad said it was amazing but getting very tough now. The air is thinning with every step making it more and more difficult to do even the basic of tasks. They climbed high yesterday reaching just below Camp 3 and then descended to Camp 2 to sleep at a lower altitude. The theory of 'climb high, sleep low' is to help with their acclimatisation. The team are on their way to Camp 3 today and will spend the night there, before then descending all the way back down to Base Camp. More to follow...

24/04/2017

Morning everyone! So, The team got up at 2am, though none of them could sleep with nerves. They all tried to force some food down, but it was very difficult at that time. They began their climb at 2.30 and headed to the Khumbu Icefall. Dad said he could see a snake of head torches already above them as they stopped to put on their crampons at crampon point, they walked and walked, climbing up fixed ropes, across ladders up vertical pitches, they really had it all quite soon into the climb. It started to get really hot as they approached Camp 1 at about 10.30, and Dad said he felt good but pretty exhausted. The team refuelled, with water and food, and headed off to Camp 2. Dad said this was one of the most exhausting days he has ever had, it just never stopped and he said it took a lot of mind strength to carry on, with the whole team feeling the effects of the mountain too. They eventually arrived at just after 3, twelve hours of struggle, and Dad said he felt totally beat as he ate soup and dinner. Just after dinner one of the crew started hallucinating and was suffering from mild hypoxia, but had some oxygen, and recovered quickly, but its getting gnarly now. Over and out... until tomorrow..! https://www.gofundme.com/jeffs-journey-to-inspire

23/04/2017

We haven't had an update from Dad yet but as far as we know, yesterday he climbed through the Khumbu Icefall and up to Camp 2 where he spent the night. Fingers crossed for some communication today. #mountainupdates

22/04/2017

And so the adventure really begins.... Today is the start of Dad and his team's first rotation. On the mountain a rotation is where you'll climb high, and then climb all the way back to where to started to allow your body to recover and acclimatise. This rotation will last for 4-5 days (depending on weather) - they will climb through the Khumbu Icefall, past Camp 1 all the way to Camp 2, where they will hopefully spend 2 nights before then climbing to Camp 3 and potentially spending 1 night. The team will then descend back to Base Camp. To put into perspective how tough these few days are going to be, Camp 2 is like sleeping at over 500m higher than the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro... and Camp 3 is like sleeping at almost double the height of Mt Fuji. This is going to be a very tough couple of days, but Dad said yesterday that he was really excited - here he is climbing through the icefall for the first time..! https://www.gofundme.com/jeffs-journey-to-inspire

21/04/2017

Morning everyone :) Dad has just been to the Puja ceremony, which is a blessing of the expedition, everyone puts articles of climbing gear: ice axe, boots etc, in to the middle to be blessed on the mountain, prayers are said, food and drink offerings are made to the gods, and everyone is blessed. This is a hugely important ceremony and marks the beginning of the next stage of the journey. Dad has also taken his first trip to the Khumbu Icefall. Dad said it was very daunting to see in real life; the Icefall is known as one of the most dangerous stages of the South Col route to the summit. Russ and the Himex team try to reduce their trips through the Icefall, hence acclimatising on the neighbouring mountain, Lobuche last week. It's starting to get very real now... more to follow #mountainupdates

18/04/2017

Tonight, I come with awesome news!! The whole Himex team reached the top of their training mountain Lobuche at 10am yesterday (local time!).. Dad text this morning, he said last night he was exhausted and got an early night, but feeling great today, which is fantastic news! Dad has now been to over 6000m so to celebrate this awesome success it would be amazing to get some £6.00 donations onto the go fund me page to coincide with the height gain from today! Dad still doesn't know this go fund me page has been set up so every penny raised will be such an awesome surprise for him when he eventually does find out!!! https://www.gofundme.com/jeffs-journey-to-inspireToday is also 3 years since the avalanche in the icefall.. quite a tough day for the climbers especially for those who were there in 2014 and saw the devastation that was caused. Thank you all for following this far, now it starts to get real, bring on the next stage of this journey! #everest

Yesterday we had radio silence from Dad, my guess for no contact would be that his sat phone has run out of charge, from looking at weather reports it appears to be very cloudy making the use of solar chargers quite difficult. As soon as I hear from him you'll be the first to know! Here is a pic of Dad last week just below Everest Base Camp by a GIANT glacier! I love this picture, he looks so happy and in his element on the mountain. Hope to bring more info to you asap #everest

17/04/2017

Here are the guys that make any Himalayan mountain summit attempt possible. The sherpas are the true heroes of the mountain, their strength is unbelievable and their kindness to western climbers is inspiring. Dad has had wonderful Sherpas in the past who have looked after his safety and helped him to the summit of other mountains, in the next couple of weeks we will be sharing some stories of the lives of the Sherpas on this trip :)Watch this space! We are currently waiting to hear from Dad about how the training mountain, Lobuche, has gone! #everest

16/04/2017

Just had an awesome call from Dad on his sat phone. They're at base camp of Lobuche and going to go for the summit tomorrow! There was an electrical storm yesterday which stopped their original summit attempt, but fingers crossed for tomorrow. He sounds amazing, really happy and his body is feeling strong. If anyone would like to donate to Dad's Everest fund it would be so greatly appreciated: https://www.gofundme.com/jeffs-journey-to-inspireThey have a tough few days ahead with a lot of increase in vertical height, this is where it all starts to get real! This is a pic from 5500m from last week, the icefall from left to right is 3km - puts into perspective to enormity of the mountain! #everest

15/04/2017

We heard from Dad yesterday via his sat phone - he told me they were camped half way up Lobuche and that the plan was to leave at 6am their time (1:15am our time) and aim to summit.. they would simply tag the summit and then venture all the way back down the mountain. He said yesterday was a really tough day, the toughest yet, but he was happy and when we spoke to him he was boiling water for some ramen noodles and eating dairylea spread?! #mountainfood!!

14/04/2017

Whilst staying at Everest Base Camp this is where Dad's tent will be pitched. What a way to start each day, opening the door to see these beautiful mountains. It's a very strange feeling having a loved one up Mount Everest, it's hard to imagine where he is and what he's going through but seeing these sort of pictures, I just know he's having the time of his life. He's currently on the training mountain Lobuche, no wifi up there but hopefully he will be in contact via sat phone today, i'll keep you updated

12/04/2017

The moment a world record was broken - Paul Oakenfold's DJ set on Everest Base Camp = the highest party in the world! Dad said it was epic.. yet slightly surreal!

11/04/2017

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." - Eleanor Roosevelt

The team are chilling today amongst these beautiful mountains, taking in the scenery and enjoying every second of the journey. Today is the Paul Oakenfold gig which is going to be a world record for the highest party ever; looking forward to sharing this footage tomorrow! Paul has trekked to base camp with the team for this gig and is raising money for the earthquake stricken Nepal - check out his venture 'SoundTrek' for more info! The team are going on to climb Lobuche tomorrow

10/04/2017

Today I come with great news - Dad has reached Everest Base Camp! It's all becoming very real now! The views are incredible and as dad opens his tent he is camped directly in front of Mt Everest, reminding him daily of why he's there. He is still feeling 100% and the team are all going strong. They are off to climb to the summit Lobuche (near by training mountain) today to help with acclimatisation! #everest

9/04/2017

Yesterday was a rest day for the team - they are currently at the Base Camp of Lobuche (a near by training mountain) - they will now finish their journey to Everest Base Camp where they will rest up and then continue up Lobuche and hopefully summit that before heading back to Everest and up higher. Here is Dad in his beautiful McNair Shirts mountain shirt, enjoying the scenery!

8/04/2017

Another stunning day on the journey to mount everest..! Dad hasn't been in contact today but as far as we know he is on his way to base camp of Lobuche - a bear by training mountain. At over 5000m now... only a few hundred meters below Everest Base Camp!

6/04/2017Dad is feeling great still, they are over 4000m now! Day of rest today then higher they go! In this video you here from Russ, Dad's leader, and his thoughts on how the trip is going so far and also Dad has a message for everyone at the end :) Thank you all for following and if anyone would like to donate to Dad's everest fund then please click here for more info :)

5/04/2017

Wifi is still down so still no videos but here is an update... Dad is bonding really well with his team. Unfortunately his roomie Joe has been really poorly and only just getting over a severe bout of sickness which hit him hard for two days. One other member has gotten sick with a stomach bug too, so Dad is doing his best to stay healthy. He is eating well, and staying hydrated. A few of the film crew have been getting headaches as well which is understandable as they are getting higher so it was expected that a few signs of altitude sickness would start to show. But thankfully at the moment Dad hasn't had any problems with altitude - every time he goes to do a mountain a few months prior to leaving he does hypoxic training which increases your red bloody cell count and helps you to acclimatise more smoothly. Dad uses kit from the awesome guys at The Altitude Centre. They have supported Dad since we did our Kilimanjaro climb in 2010. If anyone is thinking of doing some climbing, drop them a line, they're awesome!

Really excitingly Paul Oakenfold (furthest right in this pic) - legendary DJ, double grammy winner and Worlds number 1 DJ twice - is on Dad's team and is trekking to Base Camp. He has just launched his new concept 'SoundTrek' which will see him break a world record on Mt Everest with the 'highest party on Earth!' at 5350m!! The project is aiming to raise money for charities through epic events! The trek in and the DJ set is all being filmed ready for a SoundTrek documentary - so keep your eyes peeled for this in the coming months. Dad said Paul is a really lovely guy and it's awesome what he's doing and hopefully they'll raise lots of money! The goal of this journey is to raise money for the Earthquake-stricken people of Nepal. Amazing!

4/04/2017

Evening update:

Wifi is still down so unfortunately not got any videos to update you all with at the moment but when they come through i'll create an epic summary of the last few days! However here is an update for you accompanied by a picture of possibly the cutest tiny human! Dad captioned this photo as 'my new chum' :) So, Dad and his team trekked 10k today with a drop of almost 400m in vertical height, and then climbed back up almost 450m in height. He said it was a very tough day, but his knees and body are feeling strong. They arrived for a late lunch and have been resting and preparing for tomorrow, which is a six hour climb. During those 6 hours they will climb up over 4000m which is almost the height of Mont Blanc! More updates to follow... :) #everest

Tenzing Norgay - Part of the first team to reach the summit of Mt Everest along with Edmund Hillary on 29th May 1953. As they climbed the mountain all those years ago, the story goes that Hillary had a near miss as he fell down a crevasse but was saved by Norgay's prompt action in securing the rope using his ice axe - this quick thinking led to Hillary considering him the climbing partner of choice for any future summit attempts. Their Everest attempt in 1953 was a success but it is still unknown which one of them stood on the summit first as they made a pact to never reveal this fact - they were a team and achieved this amazing feat together. This amazing way of thinking is still so relevant as the only way Dad is going to stand on top of the world is by working as a team with the group he is climbing with :) Here is Tenzing Norgay standing proudly outside the Sherpa museum on the route into Everest Base Camp #legend

3/04/2017

Morning everyone! Yesterday was another awesome day for Dad. They continued their trek into base camp and enjoyed the amazing views - they also visited the Hilary school which Dad said was an amazing experience. The last clip on this video shows the Sherpa loading the fire with yak dung to keep them warm at night, in the tea houses as they sleep. Dad's still feeling strong and in great shape.

The wifi is down in Namche today so have only had a few texts from Dad. They are on a rest day today so just relaxing, acclimatising and taking in the epic surroundings. This view is just one angle of an incredible 360 panoramic scene... Now although Dad is out climbing the mountain he still hasn't reached the full amount of money for the trip but his guide has kindly agreed to be paid the remainder post climb. I have set up a Go Fund Me page which I'm hoping to raise as much as possible whilst Dad is away. He is working so hard and sending back loads of informative content for the 3000+ children he has been to speak to all over the country and is continuing to inspire them even from afar. If you would like to donate anything please follow the link - if everyone following this donated just £1 each we would be so much closer to reaching the target.. Thank you in advance :) #everesthttps://www.gofundme.com/jeffs-journey-to-inspire

2/04/2017

Good morning everyone! Happy Sunday - Here is your Everest update for today.... At the moment Dad and the team are staying in tea houses in Namche and this morning he sent me through some epic footage! He got his first look at Everest and went to the sherpa museum reading the history of their amazing achievements. Also Dad took a few blow up globes and some whistles out with him to Nepal to give to the children along the way - yesterday he met two little children from the village and such small gifts made such a huge impact on their world... Just look at their little faces :) Dad says that at the moment he is feeling really strong, no altitude problems so far and even after a double knee op 3 months ago he said his knees are feeling in good shape. Yesterday he went for a catch up with head guide and mountain legend Russ and he said Dad was looking strong which has given him a confidence boost. He is loving the experience once again and excited for what the next 10 weeks hold

1/04/2017

Dad and the team flew into Lukla via helicopter yesterday and have started the trek into Everest Base Camp. He messaged last night to say he is so happy to be back in the Himalayas and is loving the experience. Yesterday he also got to see his sherpa from Manaslu, Ngima - whilst on Manaslu they got on so well and Ngima was amazing and helped Dad get to the summit, they have stayed in contact ever since so Dad was so happy to get to see him again after 4 years! Another early start today and they're currently a few hours into the next part of the trek.. More to follow!

31/03/2017

And so the Everest journey has begun... Dad is now safely in Kathmandu so I (Chloe - his youngest daughter) will now be taking over his social media for the next ten weeks. I am hoping to update you daily throughout this trip so you can watch the story unfold. As I write this Dad is at the helicopter pad waiting to fly into Lukla where they will begin their trek into Base Camp. More to follow...

29/03/107

All packed and ready to go. Flight leaves at 09:30 tomorrow morning so off to stay with friends close to Heathrow tonight... nervous and excited in equal measure. I have a feeling this next ten weeks is going to be a great journey. Thank you for following, we will be updating all social media daily whilst I'm gone. See you in 10 weeks! #mountain